Tracking Links

Parameters you append to your Linkrunner click tracking links

Overview

Create each campaign link from All Campaigns → Create Link in the affiliate dashboard. Linkrunner generates a tracking-link template with the parameters configured for your affiliate account.

Copy the exact template into your platform. Do not build the URL or add parameters manually. A generated template may look like this:

https://track.example.com/?c=CAMPAIGN_ID&tid={click_id}&s2={campaign_id}

The domain belongs to the advertiser. c is the Linkrunner campaign identifier. Values such as {click_id} and {campaign_id} are your platform's macros, using the syntax configured for your affiliate account.

Your platform replaces those macros before it sends the click to Linkrunner. Linkrunner does not expand them for you.

Does your placement send the user straight to the store without opening a browser (OEM icons, preloads)? Report those clicks from your server instead. See Server-to-Server Clicks.

To get credit for users who see your ad but don't tap it, report impressions too. See Server-to-Server Impressions.

The two forms of the link

The same link exists in two states, and mixing them up is the most common cause of missing attribution.

The template you configure, carrying your macros:

https://track.example.com/?c=OgWmhiSXhG&tid={click_id}&s2={campaign_id}

The URL that actually reaches Linkrunner, after your platform substitutes them:

https://track.example.com/?c=OgWmhiSXhG&tid=a1b2c3d4e5&s2=camp_88

Macro syntax varies by platform. {click_id}, {TID}, ##CLICKID## and [clickid] are all common. Use whatever your own platform expands; Linkrunner never expands it for you.

Your platform must replace its own click macros before the click reaches Linkrunner. If the final URL still contains a value like {click_id} or {campaign_id}, Linkrunner stores it as text and the conversion cannot be matched back to your click. Linkrunner only fills macros in the server-to-server postback URL.

Parameters

You fill each parameter with your own value at click time.

Required

Parameter	Description
tid	A unique ID you generate for every click. Linkrunner returns this value in the {click_id} and {tid} postback macros, so you can match conversions back to clicks.

Passthrough values

Parameter	Description
s2	Optional campaign, source, or publisher value. Linkrunner returns this in the {s2} postback macro.
s3	Optional ad set, placement, or sub-publisher value. Linkrunner returns this in the {s3} postback macro.
s4	Optional deduplication or extra tracking value. Linkrunner returns this in the {s4} postback macro.

Device and request

Pass device advertising IDs when you have them. They improve match rates, especially for device-ID matching.

Parameter	Description
gaid	Google Advertising ID (Android).
idfa	iOS Advertising ID (Apple).
device_id	Optional fallback. Linkrunner treats it as GAID or IDFA based on the device platform.

URL-encode every value before appending it. Linkrunner stores values as received.

What not to put in the tracking link

Do not add postback-only values to the tracking link.

Value	Where it belongs
postbackKey or another secret key	Your postback URL template, not the user-facing tracking link.
{event_name}	The postback URL template. There is no event name at click time.
{revenue}, {sale_amount}, {currency}	The postback URL template. These values exist only after a conversion.

Example

A complete click tracking link:

https://track.example.com/?c=OgWmhiSXhG&tid=a1b2c3d4e5&s2=camp_88&s3=pub_4471&gaid=38400000-8cf0-11bd-b23e-10b96e40000d

Troubleshooting

Conversions arrive with an empty click ID. You did not send tid on the click, or the value was empty. Confirm the final clicked URL includes tid= with a unique value.

The final URL still shows {click_id} or another macro. Your platform did not replace that macro before redirecting the user. Replace it in your platform first, then send the resolved value to Linkrunner.

Installs are not attributed to your clicks. Check that traffic actually passes through the Linkrunner tracking link and that the campaign identifier (c) is correct. If you rely on device-ID matching, make sure gaid or idfa is present on the click.

Need help? Contact support@linkrunner.io